1. You buy a a damn os, Os X, but you don't have the right to install it on the computer of your choice unless you purchase that computer from Apple.

2. You buy a damn mp3 player, iPod, but you are left at the mercy of Apple, drm and iTunes. If drm schemes will change in the future, you won't be able to listen to the songs you just bought today.

2. You buy a damn phone, iPhone, but you can not decide what apps you can install on it. Like you aren't the owner of the damn phone, but Apple is.

3. You write an app for iPhone but you are at the mercy of Apple who will see if your app get's on iPhone store, will see if you have priced the app too little or too much, will see if you don't break their business politics, see if you are not a competitor for their software. They may or may not allow your application to run on iPhone.

4. If you try to develop something for iPhone or Os X, you are locked on these damned platforms, as someone said earlier.

5. If you are a competitor and try to develop something better than Apple, you get sued in no time over some real or (often) imaginary patent claims

It's sad to say this, or even talk about Microsoft when it comes to rights or liberty, but comparing Apple to Microsoft in terms of freedom, it's like comparing North Korea to Switzerland.

1. You buy a a damn os, Os X, but you don't have the right to install it on the computer of your choice unless you purchase that computer from Apple.

2. You buy a damn mp3 player, iPod, but you are left at the mercy of Apple, drm and iTunes. If drm schemes will change in the future, you won't be able to listen to the songs you just bought today.

2. You buy a damn phone, iPhone, but you can not decide what apps you can install on it. Like you aren't the owner of the damn phone, but Apple is.

3. You write an app for iPhone but you are at the mercy of Apple who will see if your app get's on iPhone store, will see if you have priced the app too little or too much, will see if you don't break their business politics, see if you are not a competitor for their software. They may or may not allow your application to run on iPhone.

4. If you try to develop something for iPhone or Os X, you are locked on these damned platforms, as someone said earlier.

5. If you are a competitor and try to develop something better than Apple, you get sued in no time over some real or (often) imaginary patent claims

It's sad to say this, or even talk about Microsoft when it comes to rights or liberty, but comparing Apple to Microsoft in terms of freedom, it's like comparing North Korea to Switzerland.

OK - take a deep breath - relax - then repeat to yourself "buying Apple kit is not obligatory its a choice I make"

Nobody is locked into anything - people buy Apple kit because they really like the stuff that Apple makes.

Apple is unusual amongst technology companies in that they try very hard to control the whole technology stack that goes into a product. They do this because they want a degree of integrated design that goes way beyond what almost anyone else in the tech world strives for. That's their business model, it reflects Steve Job's view of how to do things and now its deeply wired into the DNA of the company and its not going to change.

Customers seem to really like the result of this approach as they queue in their millions to buy Apple products. Check out this latest survey of the satisfaction of smart phone users.

What possible reason, given the success of their products and their financial results, would Apple have to change its approach? Certainly not some whining by a tiny, tiny bunch of marginal (in market terms) techies.

Given that buying Apple kit is wholly voluntary what possible harm does the Apple approach do? Don't like an iPod then buy a Zune, don't like the iPhone then buy a Blackberry or Android, don't like the iPad then buy a netbook, don't like MacOSX then use Windows or Linux - but please in God's name stop cluttering up forums like this with the incessant and nonsensical whining.